Air-vent drainage system



UNITED TATE EMORY E. TROVVBRIDGE, OIF KANSAS CITY, Kril\T-lf.iS.y

.AIR-VENT DRANAGE SYSTEM.

Application filed .april 5,

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, EMORY E. Tnownmen, a citizen of the United States, residing in Kansas City, county of Wyandotte, and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Vent Drainage Systems, of which the Yfollowing .is a speciiication.

My invention relates to improvements in an air vent drainage system and refers more particularly to a drainage system for venting and draining the soil and subsoil to maintain the same, at all times, in a substantially dry condition.

Among its salient objects are to provide a system for removing the surplus water trom the ground and at the same time, Ventilating or aerating the soil, thus maintaininga more uniform character to the soil, regardless or weather conditions; to provide a system which is particularly adapted to the draining of moist or swampy farm lands, and one that is especially applicable to the proper maintenance of road beds, pavements, public highways, rail roads and other transportation lines; to provide a system for maintaining the soil and subsoil in a substantially uniform condition regarding moisture and air beneath the surface ot' the ground.

In the single ligure is shown a sectional View of a section of soil and subsoil with the system viewed diagrammatically therein, the pipe line shortened up by breaking parts away.

It is a matter of general information among tile manufacturers that drain tile installed in earth that is water-logged or soggy will delay, for a considerable time, the carrying o'l'll o'lE the moisture. lt will drain the water only after the soil has been aerated by the atmosphere that would slowly permeate through the soil or seep out through the joints oiI the pipe. ln the present system, l provide means tor introducing air into the soil, thus hastening the drainage and preventing waterlogging of the communicating lines.

The gravity weight ci the atmosphere at sea level is about 14.7 pounds per square inch, which will cause the air to enter every possible opening it can reach. The air rent system provides surface openings and ducts orpermitting the atmosphere to enter the ieee. serial no. 371,271.

soil from below, to aid in removing the surplus moisture, eliminate abnormal conditions drainage system, the horizontal drains being broken away in order to show more oompiiehensively a greater part o'f the system. lt is understood that there may be a network of horizontal drain lines where a large tract oi land is to be drained and at diiierent parts of the system vertical surface ducts may be connected to the horizontally positioned drain line. Such a system will greatly facil itate the drainage oi" water or the supplying 'of moisture and air to the soil and sub-soil.

Referring to the drawings,y at l is shown a section of earth or subsoil in cross section. Vertical surface vents 2 extending down `through the subsoil connect with horizontal ducts 3, which comprise the connecting links and drain lines of the system. At'the top oit these surface vents are mounted an open ended 'ltile 2, which permits the atmosphere to circulate freelyvdown through the system.. Connected to the vertical surface vents are horizontally extending ducts 4L' and 5, duct Il having an open ended T-connection 6, vertically positioned connected thereto,

Vand duct 5 a. similar T-connecticn 7 hori-` zontally positioned, connected thereto, both being arranged in the subsoil and adapted tc coll-ect the moisture therefrom and supply surface air thereto. Extending Vvertically gravel, or crushed stone, which will facili@ tate the passage of moisture'irom the subsoil to the respective open ended connectionsV and at the same time, facilitate the circulation of air from theV ducts to the soil.

ln the single gure, i have shown only a Specification of Letters Patent. Patented bien', 7, 1922,

,60 ln Fig. l is shown only a portion of the' ,90 from the horizontal duct 3 is a duct 8, which l small part of a drainage system and have shown only a few of the possible open ended connections beneath the subsoil. Vhere it is desired to drain the subsoil deeper, it may be more advantageous to supply two or three open ended connections on either side of the vertical surface vents and arrange them at frequent intervals along the lower horiz'ontal ducts. The character of the soil and the quantity of moisture to be drained will, of course, determine to a great extent, the positioning of the subsoil drawoii's.

About the open ended T-connections 2a mounted at the surface of the ducts 2, ventilating boxes such as that shown at 1l may be placed to prevent the breaking olf of these connections or damaging them for any reason. These boxes may be of any material such as concrete or wood as desired, and ventilating holes 12 arranged therein to permit free circulation of the atmosphere4 Horizontal ducts such as that shown at 3 will, of course be laid in different directions through the soil to be drained and graded `to carry off the moisture, to drain ducts such as that shown at 13. The tile used for the respective chiots and drains may be of any suitable type such as that commonly used, but preferably in this system I employ a vitrified earth tile with a special type of connection which will be the subject of a subsequent application.

Where the soil is of heavy loam or of clayey character, the coarse material or crushed stone about the subsoil drawoffs is more essential than where the soil to be drained is of a coarse or loose character. The circulation of the air from the surface through the subsoil will be assisted by the diiierence. in temperature of the atmosphere and the temperature of the subsoil. Also, it may be desirable to supply moisture to the subsoil instead of draining it therefrom and in this case, water may be supplied to the vertical surface ducts to the mount desired.

Vhere an air vent drainage is used in connection with farm lands, the aerating of the subsoil maires the land more productive due to the maintaining of more constant conditions of moisture and temperature. `When pavements have been laid that are waterproof and the natural ventilation and surface moisture either shut off or trapped thereunder. an abnormal condition is created, by which there may be an accumulation of surplus moisture from capillary attraction7 and at other times, there may be an excessive drying out causing the subsoil to crack with a consequent splitting and disintegrating of the pavement.

By keeping the subsoil properly drained and aerat-ed these abnormal conditions are obviated. In the case of public highways where the surface is not waterproo-fed all acteristics or changes due to the more con- '1 stant conditions of moisture, temperature and air maintained therein.

I claim as my invention:

1. A drainage system of the .character described, comprising a plurality of connected ducts laid in a substantially horizontal position beneath the surface of the ground, surface vents connected therewith, open ended vertically and horizontally extending secondary drain ducts connected to the system and adapted to draw off the moisture from the body of the subsoil and supply air thereto, drain ducts for carrying off the moisture of the soil connected to the` system.

2. A drainage system of the character described, comprising a plurality of connected ducts laid in a substantially horizontal position beneath the surface of the ground, surface air vents connected therewith, open ended vertically and horizontally extending secondary drain chiots below the surface of the ground connected to the system and adapted to draw the moisture from the subsoil and supply air thereto, means for facilitating the passage of the moisture and air from the ,fopen ended underground ducts to the body of the subsoil, drain ducts connected to the system for carrying oli' the moisture.

3. Adrainage system of the character described, comprising a plurality of connected ducts laid in a substantially horizontal position beneath the surface of the ground, surface vents connected therewith, open ended vertically and horizontally extending secondary ducts below the surface of the ground connected to the main ducts adapted to draw off or supply moisture to the body of the subsoil and at the same time supply air thereto, drain Vducts connected to the system for carrying off the moisture therefrom.

et. A drainage system of the character describedv` comprising a plurality of connected horizontal ducts laid in substantially horizontal position beneath the surface `of the ground, vertical surface vent ducts connected with the horizontally positioned drain duets, open-ended vertically extending secondary ducts below the surface connected with the horizontal drains and adapted to draw off or supply moisture to the sub-soil and open horizontally extending secondary ducts below 'he surface connected to the vertical surface vents, said open-ended secondary sub-surface ducts adapted to draw off or supply moisture to the sub-soil and supply face vents connected therewith, open ended air thereto, and a drain outlet for relieving secondary drain ducts connected to the systhe system of moisture. tem and adapted to draw oil the moisture 10 5. A drainage system of the character defrom the body of the subsoil and supply air 5 scribed, comprising a plurality of connected thereto and drain duets for carrying off the ducts laid in a substantially horizontal posimoisture of the Soil connected to the system.

tion beneath the surface of the ground, sur- EMORY E. TROVBRIDGE. 

